To not understand why people rave about Aldi.....

[TwilightMad]

When, IMO it sells cheap, nasty, horrible food! I'm usually a Tesco shopper but I thought last month i'd try Aldi out, and to say I was disappointed was an understatement!

The fruit, yes was cheaper but it is also smaller in quantities and the raspberrys, strawberrys and blueberries looked mouldy and soft. The meat, especially the chicken was extremely fatty and the mince actually looked off and was a nasty grey colour! The tinned stuff was tasteless, the curry sauces were overloaded with too much spice and cheap ingredients and the chocolate was disgusting, so Aibu to not get why everyone goes mad for the place?.....

I only go in o Aldi at Christmas. But I don't like the way every thing is just piled onto pallets. It always looks so scruffy and a bit grubby.

I like a nice orderly supermarket with clean selves.

*not the same thing

I dont buy meat or fresh food in aldi.

Their tinned tomatoes/pasata is good as is their pasta and tortilla chips.

Tissues are ok and thats pretty much what I buy in there..

It is rubbish Mrsjayy - we are very deprived here. I blame the SNP/Tories/Russia/Israel - delete as appropriate

Auntie Bessie's frozen mash is the DBs - especially if you add extra milk and butter. Mmmm...

I dont mind a pallet really i go when the kids are off school because they just go through food like locusts so buy biscuits and shit

I blame Nicola tbh

Yes aldis crap.. Please go somewhere else so the rest of us can get parked.

The spicy jalapeño coleslaw is the favourite atm. I think the husband would eat it with a spoon.

I blame Nicola too for everything

the chocolate is good, as are the crisps, but the main thing is the WINE. The Exquisite Collection stuff is all great and much better value than similar wines in M&S.

Sir all the stuff I've tried from either aldi or lidl has been rank and definitely of inferior quality, so my opinion is that it is cheap shit! Maybe that is only one of the reasons why they are able to sell so cheaply, but it doesn't alter my opinion. You don't have to agree with me and I couldn't care less where other people prefer to shop - each to their own and all that.

So don't accuse me of stirring! I could equally accuse you of trying to bully anyone who disagrees with you into silence.

Is bramble jelly actually made from brambles?

Never seen any 'gone off' food in my local aldi, it's always crazy busy and has a massive turnover of its produce

Yes Mrs H, actually made from brambles! One of the delights of my country childhood was being sent out to pick brambles for jelly. Always ended up covered in scratches.

SquinkiesRule "Our Local Aldi has lovely fruit and veg, we also buy the nice sauages from there, they sell Edwards of Conwy sausages for less than Asda so get those."

Wow! That's fantastic. I suppose you must live in NW Wales (if so I envy you). I live in East Sussex, but Edwards of Conwy is fantastic. I'm so impressed that Aldi are selling them in some branches.
I'm quite happy with the things I get from Aldi. I like the fact that they sell free-range chickens and I like their outdoor-bred pork loin steaks. Lidl is a lot nearer, so we get quite a few things there too. I think Lidl and Aldi richly deserve the success they've had in the UK. Lidl's turnover for the last year in the UK was £4 billion!

Forgot I buy Cashews and Peanuts there too

What nonsense. Aldi and lidl stuff fine. However, I hope you don't go again. More for us

All the brambles are gone from where i am they are folksmanicures hedges now

That's a shame MrsJavy. i haven't picked brambles for years, maybe I will go and look for some this year...

DH can't tell the difference between their Granola (£1.49) and more expensive versions
Their biscuits of the sort you eat with cheese (oat cakes etc) are great and much cheaper .
Their Irish Whiskey Cake (£1.49) ,if you can get it, is lovely (DH thought I'd been baking, as did very picky home-baker friend )
Stollen bites and panettone (Christmas) are as good as much more expensive makes
Their cheesecake is nice
Their lemon sorbet has bits of lemon rind in it. Sounds odd but it's very tasty. Am hoping the Mango one is the same

I like their chocolate and their Rocky Road is to die for .
Some of their wine is good e.g Calvi identical to Sainsburys is £3 cheaper. And the £3.99 Merlot with a Salamander on it .
DH will happily eat their 24 day aged steak ( I don't eat much meat and tend not to buy there, as they never seem to have free range chicken )
The fresh herbs are good, though I tend to buy to use quite soon
Toilet rolls are fine
There are some things- e.g cat food, baked beans, tinned tomatoes that I only ever buy brand names of
I do a 'raid' once every six weeks or so and stock up (we have plenty of storage space) I do find it a bit annoying when you liked something and can never find it again. And you do have to pick and choose .
Trouble is I end up buying the odd 'offers' they always have e.g a tool for de grouting-admittedly our shower needs doing but will I ever DIY ? And some nice garden plant supports with butterflies on .And plants . So I'm not sure I save that much ! There isn't a Lidl that near us so can't comment
The dishwasher tablets are crap though
I have no particular need to save money (and I hate grocery shopping ) but I love a bargain and a new Aldi has just opened near us . I find their til operators perfectly pleasant and I love that the managers go on the tils when it's busy .

OP YANBU

Can't understand why people rave about it. Our local one is dull and dirty looking inside, nothing looks appealing, I don't think it is particularly cheap and service awful.

My local supermarket is Sainsbury - I like it - bright, clean, can get everything under one roof and nice service.

It seems like it depends where you live as to what your local branch may be like but my local one is a horrid shopping experience and I won't be back!

in all honesty I think. you just become accustomed to it.

I remember the first meal I made when we stopped shopping there and had been to another supermarket. I only made spaghetti and meat balls but omg it just tasted so good.

yet at the time I hadn't even realised there was such a difference as we'd been eating stuff I'd made with stuff I'd bought in aldi.

It's better than shit bought at iceland though. given a choice between having to live off economy ranges, Iceland or aldi. I'd pick aldi/lidl every time. It's not the best nut it's better than the others.

I did tell myself it's all made in the same factory etc and yes I know. It's true. But it's naive to think.there isn't a difference at all.

It's just personal taste as to whether teh difference is worth paying the extra and honestly sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

We have a new Aldi which just opened a few days ago. Fruit and veg I bought there is lovely.

Chocolate bickies fab, and lots of other stuff. It was a really good experience shopping there compared to our local Tesco, which has not had any real competition for many years.

I don't buy much meat in any supermarkets as I prefer to use the local butcher for the quality. Everything else I bought this week in Aldi, and saved a good £30 compared to my usual Tesco shop. So far it has all been good quality.

I used to go with my aunt and eat more than i picked was great now poncy chefs call it foraging

And they pay their staff much more than the other supermarkets.

Our local Aldi is very good. It gets very busy so has a high turn over of fresh produce. I've been there this afternoon to stock up on cupboard stuff now the school hols have started. It's so much cheaper.

DS got paid OK at Waitrose and he also got a bonus.